In the Day of Adversity

sleeve and, as he afterward found, a slight sword thrust in the forearm, showed how great had been her peril and how near her little body to being pi

all three were dead, lying stark and stiff on the frozen ground across the graves where they had fallen. As for him, the living one, he presented as ghastly a spectacle as the

d in his hand, while by the light of the moon, such as it was, he wa

?" asked the man, staggering to

ihood. Especially if you trifle with me. I will have the truth fro

w no more than y

Answer, I say! Who are you all, you and this carrion here?" and he spurned the dead with his foot. "Above all, who is th

nce more the threatening aspect of the other, and again the sword

t and b

wears the burganet. And accompanied by one other-this," and he looked down at the dead men lying across the graves and touched one with his toe, thereby to indicate him. "Then," the fellow went on, "when he had drunk a cup and made a meal he spake to us sitting round the fire; to him, Gaspard," pointing to

aid t

st save the child at all costs, wre

ch it away from me. On the contrary, all aimed at that harmless child's life, endeavoured to stab it through m

emed so near now-"hear my story out; you will see I do not lie. It was not until late

ges, again dropping th

king there were fifty gold pistoles for us to divide. Was it worth our while? We said, Yes, it was worth our while; we were disbanded soldiers of the Verdelin Regiment-our time expired, and we looking for a fresh recruiting. If what he said was true-that we were wanted to arrest a kidnapper-we would join. But for no other purpose. Then he swore

" asked St. G

toward Aignay-le-Duc. Le Brigand-as he called monsieur-would pass that way to-night, he

messenger from Dijon! Who could it be? Who was there who knew of St. Georges's whereabouts? Yet, as the man spoke, they gu

ght not much of that. We were five to two, for he, the messenger, averred he would take no part in the fight unless absolutely necessary. He was not well, he said; he had ridden all day-fight

t again the man paused as though his narrative

us one final order. 'They will resist,' he said, 'therefore spare not. Dead

to this innocent child! My God!" And St. Georges paused a moment ere he we

ire, while he grimly added, "For my part

wl so for mercy that St. Georges, more for fear that he would call the attention of some who might be about the village than aught else, bade him cease the noise he was making or he would indeed tak

mless as the child I carry, you are too vile for us to sta

ed very near where they stood, and into whose black mouth he had been peering for some time. He added also: "It will be his only chance of ever o

ne who had recently departed, but, instead, an old one that had been opened, perhaps to receive some fresh body; for by the side of it there

is in-as we will soon have him-the stone shall be pushed back to keep h

ing prospect of being thus incarcerated in so awful a manne

ed over this province a year back-it took many, among others him who laid here. He was of Chantillon-a seigneur-and is now removed by his frien

ondemn the ruffian to such horrors as these. Revenge he would have taken earlier, in the heat of the fight; would have killed the man wi

h his horse's reins and gag him. Then he must tak

man's horse-which was itself wounded and seemed incapable of action-and lashing him to the

released. Meanwhile, heart up! you are not alone. You have your comrad

m one question.-Who," turning to the shivering creature before him, "who

ass for a real one, and so give him his freedom-then, perhaps because his inventive powers were not grea

w. I never sa

ow, or will no

not

o your village? F

from Paris. He had not come ma

not wear his burganet all the

dy answers he would earn his pardon even yet, "passably young. Of a

all you c

nsieur. Ayez p

. Georges to Bouss

rode on once more upon their road, passing s

d, with, perhaps, another added to their number if the frost is great to-night, as it seems like to be. We mu

s, and the jangling of their scabbards and steel trappings arousing the whole village. Even the guet de nuit-who because it was his duty

re de la maison du roi," answered Boussac; and so, five minutes late

leeping child, "I would give much to know who our enemy is-who the cruel wretch who aimed at your in

brushed her lips wit

y be thwarted as was this one to-night; that he may raise up for y

rwhelmed with modesty. "Amen! Though," he exclaimed a second after, "he who wou